Trevor Morgan

The forwards combined well, says Morgan


After losing twice to Chennaiyin FC in the league phase of the Hero Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters FC assistant coach Trevor Morgan was a visibly relieved man when his team humbled the top seeds 3-0 in the first leg of the first semi-final played in Kochi.
Making an appearance at the post-match press conference along with midfielder Sushanth Mathew who scored the third goal, Morgan said that tactically his team didn’t do a lot differently from what it did when they lost at home to the same opponents about two weeks earlier. “We had lot of chances when we played against Chennai and we were solid defensively too till the end. But we were a little unfortunate that day to be caught on a counter attack toward the tail end of the match,” he pointed out.
Morgan conceded that the celebrations were a bit overboard following their win but their intention was not to be disrespectful to the beaten rivals. “The players were showing their excitement of winning the match,” Morgan explained. “The fact that this is also the last time they were playing in front of the home crowd this season added to the joy of the players.”


Speaking about his brilliant goal, Mathew said that he was thrilled when the ball went into the net. “It was a dream goal for me. It is the kind of goal everyone wants to score. I’m really happy and thankful to God,” he explained. The 33-year-old player also appreciated the crowd for their magnificent support and motivation, which helped the team get to where they are at the moment.
On being asked if he would have liked to have been on the pitch for a longer time, Mathew said, “The coach knows when to introduce a player and when to take someone off. I’m thankful to him for trusting in me and giving me a chance. I feel wonderful.”
Morgan on his part was also delighted that his former ward at East Bengal was able to play in front of his own family and relatives and score a world-class goal.


 On a night when everything fell in place for Kerala, the England-born Australian gaffer said that the forward combination worked well tonight. “(Iain) Hume and Michael (Chopra) are experienced players. Hume is dynamic and energetic whereas Michael picks up good positions, has a good understanding of the game and a brilliant first touch. The combination worked well tonight and only time will tell if it will work in the next game as well.”


On a parting note Morgan said that the team would try and win the second leg too or at least make sure that they don’t get beaten: “You have to approach the game positively. We won’t go into the game thinking we are three goals up. Football is not like that. We will go into the game as if the score is 0-0. This is important because teams have come back from three goals down. Chennai is a good team and we need to prepare for a tough game on Tuesday.”